明十六／十七世紀 青銅「臥馬」鎮紙

the recumbent mythical horse finely cast with its head turned to the left and flames rising from its forelegs, its bushy tail curling around its hind leg

There are some light pitting and minor scratches to the surface, but otherwise in very good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Finely sculpted and modelled, this figure of a lively and alert celestial horse is a rare example amongst objects made for the scholar's desk. Small sculptures of this type were used as paper weights; for example, see three in the form of recumbent mythical animals, attributed to the late 16th and first half of the seventeenth centuries, from the collection of Robert H. Clague, illustrated in Robert D. Mowry, China's Renaissance in Bronze: The Robert Clague Collection of Later Chinese Bronzes 1100-1900, Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, 1993, cat. nos. 45-47. The Ming dynasty scholar and artist, Wen Zhenheng, in his encyclopaedic work Zhang wu zhi ('Treatise on Superfluous Things') written between 1620-1627, noted that ancient jade sculptures make the most elegant paper weights, but figures of crouching tigers, qi dragons, sleeping dogs and recumbent horses and others made in bronze also could be used. See China's Renaissance in Bronze, op.cit., p. 201, for a discussion on animal form bronze paper weights.